File card compression indicating device



Feb. 11, 1958 T. c. HAILEs 2,822,810

IN1/Emol; Theozgolfe C. Haile;

United States Patent O 2,822,810 FILE CARD COMPRESSION INDICATING DEVICE Theodore Hailes, Bronxville, N. Y., lassignor to The Wright Line, Inc., Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 26, 1955, Serial No. 484,225 4 Claims. (Cl. 129-16) This invention relates to a card file receptacle, and

particularly to a card le drawer or tray which com prises a compressor arranged to compress a set of cards into a tightly packed arrangement. A set of cards used for carrying business information 1s mounted in a suitable cabinet. Each tray comprises a front plate and a movable compressor so arranged that the assembled cards may be held therebetween under compression for storage purposes, so as to minimize their drying out or expanding under the changing moisture conditions as well as to protect the cards from injury and to hold each in a suitable ilat condition. In a constantly used card storage, some trays may be emptied and left ready for receiving a different set of cards. Also, through accident, the compressor may not be forced far enough forward to hold a set of cards properly compressed. It is therefore desirable that the user of the card le cabinet be informed as which trays are empty not the cards in each tray are `being maintained under satisfactory compression.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to satisfy this requirement and to provide a card iile Atray with a signaling device which will indicate whether the tray is empty `or the cards therein are not Yunder satisfactory compression, so that the user of the storage file may take proper steps in the matter. Other objects will be apparent in the following disclosure.

Referring to the drawings illustrating embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly lbroken away, of a file tray carrying a set of cards held between a compressor and a forward movable plate, and which embodies a signal system for indicating whether or not there is a set of cards in the tray under proper compression;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail showing a movable front Wall plate carrying a signal button in a non-signaling position; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the storage tray showing the compressor and a cooperating movable front Wall in a card compressing relationship, and with the signal button located in a forward signaling position indicating that the cards are held under compression.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the tray or drawer 10, which may comprise any suitable construction, is provided with a slidable compressor 11 adapted to hold a set of cards 12 under suitable compression against a movable front wall 14. The compressor, which may be of any suitable construction, may conform with the structure illustrated and described in the pending application of Myers and Miller, Serial No. 325,392, led December 11, 1952, now abandoned, and to which reference may be had for a full explanation thereof. In general, it comprises a compression plate 11 mounted on a U-shaped standard 15 in turn carried by a slide 16 which is movably clamped in a desired position on a flanged trackway 17 on the tray bottom by suitable manipulation of a lever 18 pivoted at 19 on the standard. This construction is customarily assembled in drawers ortrays which are.

and whether or 2,822,810 Patented Feb. l1`, 1958 compressor plate 14 to indicate whether the tray is emptyV or cards therein have been properly compressed. The plate 14 in the construction shown is a flatmetal sheet pivotally mounted at its top on a depending flange or lipY 21 integral with the front wall 22 of the tray, these parts being also made of suitable sheet metal for the purpose. That is, the front wall 22, which is either integral with or suitably secured to the side walls of the tray, is provided with top and side flanges 23 for strength thus forming with plate 14 vaxliollow or box-like structure. The top flange is bent downwardly as shown to provide the depending lip 21'. A

The pivot for the plate v14, shown exaggerated in shape, comprises a U-shaped or grooved part 24 suitably formed at the top' of the plate 14, as by weldinga side strip tothe plate. This is I.a socket so-located that the depending llange 21 normallyridesl inthe groove of the U member 24 and thus Vformsv a fulcrumor pivot about which the plate 14 may swing. Y The 'plate 14 depends to a position in 'front of the forward end of the track 17 spaced from the tray front for the purpose. Its rearwardswinging movement is limited by the ange 26 of the plate butting against the track. The track may be a U-shaped plate having side flanges spaced from the tray bottom which slidably support inwardly curved llanges on the slide 16, as is customary. The grooved member 24 is held up against the flange 21 to form a pivot by meansof the coiled tension spring 28. The spring is suitably secured at one end to a clip 29 on the inside of the front wall 22 of the tray and a further clip 30 on the rear of the plate 14. It will be noted that the movable clip 30 is placed well below the other clip 29, so that the tension of the coiled spring 28 will hold the plate up into its socket poti-Y tion.

The signal shown in this construction comprises a button 32, preferably colored brightly, which is shaped to project through an opening 34 in the front tray wall 22 when the plate 14 is moved from the sloping position of Fig. 2 to the vertical position of Fig. 3. The forward pivotal movement of the plate is limited by an abutment, such as a cylinder 36 secured to the plate and in turn carrying the button 32. This part 36 is large enough to engage the wall 22 at the side of the opening 34 and prevent forward movement of the plate beyond a limiting position and so receive the compressive force on the cards.

The signal 32 is moved rearwardly out of the opening 34 when the compressor has freed the cards by means of a compression coiled spring 38 secured at one end to either the plate 14 or the wall 22 and preferably to the plate 14 and positioned by means of a peg 39 projecting from the plate 14 centrally of the coiled spring, so as to insure proper action of the spring. The spring 38 is materially stronger than the spring 2S, so that the latter serves merely to hold the plate in its pivoted position and does not cause the signal to be shown when the compressor has been moved rearwardly. The spring 38 is strong enough to thrust thecards rearwardly when the compressor is removed, so as to withdraw the signal button 32 from the opening 34. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that the hinging of the plate 14 4at its upper edge causes the plate to swing rearwardly at its bottom so as to thrust the cards into an open V condition when the compressor has been freed from the cards. The plate 14 is bent as illustrated to form a step-shaped ange 26, so

17 'and the depending ange 26 is always forward of the cards, so that the latter may ride on the track in all positions of compression.

The signaling device and its associated plate 14 may be readily assembled by hooking the spring ZS in place and thrusting the upper end of the plate A14 downwardly to interiit the ange 21 in the socket groove 24 of the plate. This is done before the slide track is put inplace, so that the track will later prevent the plate from swinging rearwardly beyond that angle needed for the V action in positioning of the loose cards. The spring 38 will thrust the lower end 26 of plate 14 rearwardly until it strikes the stop formed by the front end' of the track 17 and thus hold the parts in place. When the compressor plate 11 is moved forward to compress the cards 12 against the front plate 14, the forward motion of the latter is stopped by the plug 36 engaging the front wall 22 and at that time the plate 14 is vertical and the cards may be compressed thereagainst by the vertical plate 11.

Suitable modications may be made in this construction to provide a signal which indicates when the cards are under proper compression. For example, the plate which carries the `indicator button may be of various sizes and arrangements, provided it is in position to receive a compressive yforce applied to the cards and to move the indicator button.

It will be appreciated that many other modifications may be made in this construction. Hence, theabove disclosure is to be interpreted as setting forth the principles of the invention and preferred embodiments thereof and not as imposing limitations on the appended claims.

l claim:

1. A card file tray comprising a bottom and a front wall, aV slideway on the bottom, a card compressor comprising a standard mounted on said slideway for sliding movement toward and away from said front wall, a first compressor plate mounted on said standard, means for releasably clamping said standard in a desired position on said slideway, a second compressor plate having its upper margin pivotally mounted on said tray adjacent said-front wall and rearwardly thereof for swinging movement about an axis transverse to said tray to and from a iirst vertical position and a second position in which it ais inclined forwardly and upwardly toward the top of said front wall, limit stop means for limiting the movement ofvsaid second plate to and from said iirst and second positions, spring means for resiliently urging said second compressor plate to said second position, said front wall having an aperture therethrough, a signal device mounted on said second compressor plate in position to projectA through said aperture when said plate is in rst position and to be withdrawn behind said front wall when said plate is in second position.

2. A card file tray as defined in claim 1 in which said first compressor plate is pivotally mounted on said standard for movement to and from a vertical position and a position in which it slopes upwardly and rearwardly.

3. A tray according to claim 1 in which the front end wall and the movable plate have interiitting socket and lip parts providing a hinged joint assembled from below, and a tension spring arranged to hold the hinged parts assembled which yields when the compression spring is free to swing the plate rearwardly.

4. A card file tray comprising aV bottom and a front wall, a slideway on the bottom, a card compressor including a iirst compressor plate mounted on said slideway for sliding movement toward and away from said front wall, means for releasably clamping said compressor in a desired position on said slideway, a flange member eX- tending rearwardly and downwardly from said front wall and terminating in spaced relation above said bottom, a second compressor plate member having its upper margin removably pivotally connected to said flange, one of said members carrying an open grooved socket in which the adjacent margin of the other said member is pivotally seated, a tension spring connecting said second plate member and said front wall to urge said plate member upwardly into Vpivotal connection, said plate member being separable from said ange member by downward movement against the tension of said spring, a compression spring mounted between said front wall and said second compressor plate member to swing the plate member resiliently rearwardly away from the front wall, said front wall having an aperture therethrough, and a signal mounted on the second compressor plate member in position to project through said aperture when the plate member swings forwardly toward the front wall and to be withdrawn behind the front wall when the plate member swings rearwardly away from the front wall.

i References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 11,504 Woodbury Aug. 8, 1854 1,106,396 McDonald Aug, 11, 1914 V1,962,146 Hampton June 12, 1934 2,460,572 Eros et al. Feb. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 854,714 France Ian. 24, 1940 

